Nothing at All
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: The most important moments in Elphaba and Fiyero's relationship are characterised by music. Collection of one-shots. Sequel to 'Dances with Princes', but can be read separately.
1. Nothing at All

**AN: Because, you know, even when I'm on hiatus for my original story and new fanfic, that doesn't mean I can't write some one-shots... :)**

**These are just a couple of one-shots that are sequels to _Dances with Princes_, but can be read separately; and each of them is based on a song.**

* * *

When Fiyero opened the door and saw his girlfriend standing there, a beaming smile lit up his face.

That, in turn, made Elphaba smile. After their initial problems and the huge fight they'd had over the summer, things had changed between them, but sometimes it still amazed her to what extent. She never understood how; but every time Fiyero saw her, his face lit up, as if she was the best sight in the world. It always made her blush, but she secretly loved it.

"Fae!" He kissed her cheek and pulled her inside, still beaming at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off with a kiss and he happily complied.

He pulled away after a while, both of them breathless, and rested his forehead against hers. He chuckled. "What was that for? Did you miss me that much?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she murmured. "I saw you yesterday."

"I missed _you _since yesterday," he said seriously.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling, but she did kiss him again.

He stepped back and took her hands in his. "Do you know what today is?" he asked her excitedly.

She squinted and tilted her head a little to the side, pretending to think about that. "Friday?"

He glared at her.

She laughed. "Yes, Yero, I know what today is. Even if I hadn't remembered, Galinda would have reminded me – she's been squealing about it all week."

Fiyero made a face. "Sometimes I think that cupcake is more excited about our relationship than we are," he complained.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Elphaba said, grinning at his description of her roommate. She slipped her arms around his neck. He smiled and kissed her softly.

"Happy one-year anniversary, Fae."

"Happy anniversary, Yero. Although," she added, scowling slightly, "I still think it's kind of stupid that we're counting from February when we were broken up for four months in between, so technically it hasn't been a year, but only eight months –"

He put his hand over her mouth to stop her talking. "Shut up, Fae."

She raised one eyebrow and shook his hand off. "Why?" she asked, amused. "Because I'm right?"

He shot her another glare and she smirked at him.

He sneaked another quick kiss and then moved to the corner of the room to grab his guitar. "I wrote you a present."

She smiled. "A song?"

He sat down on the edge of his bed with his guitar and handed her the lyrics. "Will you sing it with me?"

It had been their way of making up after their break-up and they had kept on doing it ever since. He loved singing with her because it made him feel even more connected to her; and she loved singing with him because… well, really, because she loved doing _anything_ with him.

He began to play, and she sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder.

He started to sing.

"_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart  
__Without saying a word you can light up the dark  
__Try as I may, I could never explain  
__What I hear when you don't say a thing…_"

Elphaba's voice joined his and as always, she marvelled at how perfect they sounded together. Their voices were so different and yet somehow, it just worked and it was wonderful.

"_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
__There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me  
__The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall  
__You say it best when you say nothing at all._"

Elphaba sang the next verse alone, raising her head to look at him. He smiled back at her.

"_All day long I can hear people talking out loud  
__But when you hold me near you drown out the crowd  
__Try as they may, they can never define  
__What's been said between your heart and mine…_"

She looked at him. He leant forward to kiss her softly, meanwhile still playing his guitar, and she laughed when he pulled away.

"Impressive."

He grinned and sang the chorus with her again.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
__There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me  
__The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall  
__You say it best when you say nothing at all._"

Fiyero interrupted the song, his fingers stilling on the strings of his guitar. "Do you mean that?"

She blinked at him. "What?"

"What you're singing."

"Well, _you _made up the lyrics. I'm just going along with it," she teased him. He laughed, but she saw something in his eyes and she laid her hand against the side of his face.

"Yes," she said. "I mean, you _did _make up the lyrics, but it's all true."

"So that truth in your eyes…" he began, smiling as if he were joking, but she knew he was genuinely still worried about this and she shook her head.

"I won't leave you, Yero," she said. "Not again."

She saw the relief in his eyes and she added, only half joking, "Unless you kiss another girl again."

He poked out his tongue.

She arched an eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes and pulled her closer, pushing his guitar aside and pulling her into his lap instead. She squeaked, which made him grin, and she grabbed his neck to steady herself.

"You just _had _to do that, didn't you?" she said, scowling.

He kissed her in reply, melting her instantly. He tangled his fingers in her long, silky hair and they kissed for a long time. When they finally broke apart, he grinned when he saw that her face was flushed and she had to make an effort to catch her breath.

"How was that?" he asked smugly.

"Aren't we cocky," she retorted, pushing him away, but he just pulled her back.

"I'm stronger than you are."

Her eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge?"

"Hmm." He kissed her neck, knowing that was her weak spot, and he couldn't help another triumphant grin when he heard the soft sigh that escaped her lips. "What? Aren't you going to try and escape?"

She struggled weakly, but gave up after a short while.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Giving up already? Can't resist my irresistible charm?"

She groaned against his shoulder. "Here we go."

"Oh, come on, Fae." He nuzzled her cheek and whispered in her ear, "You have to admit I am pretty irresistible."

She shivered, but managed to pull away and climb out of his lap. "Irresistible? You? Let me think." She gave him a long, searching look, then shook her head. "No."

He pouted. "But Fae!"

She rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"You're gorgeous."

"Shut up."

He laughed and rose to his feet, taking her hand. "Come on. Let's go get a drink at the café – to celebrate."

She agreed and half an hour later, they found themselves at the Primrose Café, curled up in a loveseat near the fireplace with mugs of hot cocoa.

He sighed happily, tightening his arm around her waist and nuzzling her neck. "I could get used to this."

She murmured something unintelligible, smiling.

He whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her hair, "The smile on your face lets me know that you need me…"

Her smile widened and she turned her head to look at him. "I do need you, you know," she said solemnly.

He smiled, too. "I know." He kissed the top of her head. "And I won't ever betray you the way I did again."

"I know that, too." She kissed the inside of his wrist and snuggled her head under his chin with a contented sigh. "And I won't leave you. I love you, Yero."

"I love you, too." He rested his chin on the top of her head and she closed her eyes, inhaling his scent and revelling in the feeling of his arms around her. These were the moments she loved best; when they were just sitting or lying down together, not really talking or doing anything, just… being together. She loved being in his arms, she loved the way he smelt and how warm he always felt – especially since she was always cold – and the way he held her. She felt secure in his arms. Safe. It was true, she realised. What Fiyero had written in his song.

No matter how much meaning they gave to their words, they said it best when they said nothing at all.


	2. All of Me

**AN: I never even liked this song all that much - maybe because of the fuss everyone made about it... but I heard it the other day and realised the lyrics were just perfect for Fiyeraba, so here it is :).**

* * *

**All of Me**

"Elphie!" Galinda threw herself at her friend, hugging her tightly. "My Oz, Elphie, can you believe it? We graduated! We don't have to go to those incredibly boring classes _ever _again!" She squealed. "I won't miss the classes, but I'll miss you guys all so terribly… you'll write over the summer, won't you?" she asked them all, and they all obediently nodded.

"I want to hear all about the dresses and shoes you buy," Nessa said teasingly. Unfortunately for her, Galinda didn't realise the girl in the wheelchair was joking and she beamed at Nessarose.

"Oh! Nessa, you're wonderful!" she gushed. "So I'll tell you about all that, and Elphie, I want to hear everything from you about your and Fiyero's relationship, do you hear me? You will tell me, won't you, Elphie? Like, all the details?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I've never told you about the 'details' before and I'm not starting now, Glin," she said patiently.

Galinda pouted. "I thought maybe you'd be less of a prude on paper…"

Elphaba scowled at her and the blonde giggled. "I'm kidding, Elphie, don't worry."

"I'm not even spending time with Fiyero, anyway," Elphaba added with a sigh. "I'm going back to Munchkinland, remember?"

Fiyero's heart, as always, sank at the prospect. He had tried not to think about it too much, but this was their last afternoon at Shiz before they would all leave for their respective homes and so there was no point in denying it anymore: Elphaba was going back to Munchkinland and he was going to the Vinkus. She would be visiting him there later this summer, but that was still six weeks away and he dreaded every minute of the time they would be apart.

But, he thought and he perked up a little at that, if his plan would go the way he wanted it to, he would have something to look forward to once she did come to the Vinkus. Something that would maybe drag him through those six weeks without her.

"Hey, Fae?" he said quietly, tuning out Galinda's excited chattering. He held out his hand. "Come with me?"

She looked faintly surprised, but she nodded and took his hand. They left Nessa and Boq with a now-wailing Galinda and Fiyero led her into a building and to the music room where they had spent so much time together.

He smiled at her and drew her into his arms, his hands warm on her waist. "I thought this would be a nice place for some final alone time," he said, trying not to let his sadness show.

As always, though, she knew how he felt. She leant up to kiss him softly. "It's only for six weeks," she promised him. "They'll be over before you know it, and then we'll be in the Vinkus together and we can do whatever we want. I'll be staying at least four weeks – we'll have all that time together."

He sighed miserably. "It's not long enough," he said, sulking. "And it's still too long before you'll actually be there."

She chuckled softly at his dramatics and he sat down on the piano bench, caressing the keys with his fingers.

"I've been wanting to talk to you," he said, looking up at her. "I wasn't sure how to begin or what to say, but then I remembered what we realised a while ago – that we communicate better without actually talking – and so I decided to sing it to you instead." He motioned for her to sit down and she did, looking at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat and began to play.

"_What would I do without your smart mouth?  
__Drawing me in, and you kicking me out  
__You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down  
__What's going on in that beautiful mind  
__I'm on your magical mystery ride  
__And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright_

_My head's under water but I'm breathing fine  
__You're crazy and I'm out of my mind  
_

'_Cause all of me loves all of you  
__Love your curves and all your edges  
__All your perfect imperfections  
__Give your all to me; I'll give my all to you  
__You're my end and my beginning  
__Even when I lose I'm winning  
_'_Cause I give you all of me  
__And you give me all of you_

_How many times do I have to tell you  
__Even when you're crying you're beautiful too  
__The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood  
__You're my downfall, you're my muse  
__My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues  
__I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you  
_

_My head's under water but I'm breathing fine  
__You're crazy and I'm out of my mind  
_

'_Cause all of me loves all of you  
__Love your curves and all your edges  
__All your perfect imperfections  
__Give your all to me; I'll give my all to you  
__You're my end and my beginning  
__Even when I lose I'm winning  
_'_Cause I give you all of me  
__And you give me all of you._"

She listened quietly, not even interrupting him once; and as always, she knew where this was going without him having to tell her. When the last notes died away and he looked at her, anticipation and excitement in equal portions visible in his eyes, she knew.

"I love you," he said. "You know that."

She nodded.

"And I don't ever want to be apart from you ever again."

She smiled slightly. "I know."

"So what I wanted to ask you…" He took a deep breath and rummaged around in his pocket, fumbling with something. He was clearly nervous and she looked on for a while, mildly amused, before she decided to relieve him from his suffering.

"Yes," she said.

His head snapped up. "Yes, what?"

She smiled widely at him. "I know what you're about to ask me," she said, chuckling softly at his face when she said that, "and the answer is yes."

His face lit up, his blue eyes hopeful. "You'll marry me?"

"Of course I'll marry you, you idiot," she said, laughing when he leapt to his feet and swept her off the piano bench, twirling her around in circles. He lowered her to the floor and kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless when he finally pulled away.

He touched his forehead to hers. "I love you," he breathed. "So much. Fae, you're amazing, and perfect, and beautiful, and I love you."

For once, she did not argue. Instead she just replied quietly, "I love you, too," and he kissed her, again and again and again, everything else forgotten.

"Six weeks," he said when they finally broke apart again. "Six more weeks apart, and then I'm never letting you go ever again. You'll be mine."

She chuckled. "That would be creepy if it weren't so amazing," she said, leaning up to kiss him again. "I'm yours, Fiyero. And I'd love to marry you." She threaded their fingers together and squeezed his hand.

They didn't leave the music room until Boq found them there, nearly an hour later.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, panting with the effort of running all over campus. "Galinda and I have been searching everywhere for you! The carriages are here – your father wants to leave, Elphaba, and your parents, Fiyero, are getting kind of impatient as well."

Elphaba sighed and Fiyero kissed her gently once more. "Six weeks," he said again.

She smiled and agreed, "Six weeks."

They followed Boq to the carriages, hand in hand. Fiyero's parents smiled when they saw the couple.

"There you are," his mother said, embracing first her son and then Elphaba. "We have to go, Yero – but Elphaba, I'm already looking forward to having you for the end of the summer!"

Fiyero grinned. If only his mother knew, but he didn't want to tell her here, in front of everyone. He'd tell his parents on the way home.

He hugged Elphaba tightly and kissed her one last time before stepping into the carriage, Elphaba moving to the one Frex was standing next to. They both looked over their shoulder at the same time and they exchanged a smile.

Then they separated, but Fiyero felt comforted in the knowledge that once they were together again, it would be for the rest of their lives.


	3. Everything

**AN: Yep, Michael Bublé. Because I love him. (Yes, the title for my multichap fic _Everthing _came from this song; but no, this one-shot has nothing to do with that multichap.)**

* * *

**Everything**

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the vicar declared, smiling at the couple. "You may kiss the bride."

Fiyero's grin was so wide and beaming, it could compete with the sun. He raised the veil currently covering his bride's face over her head and brought one hand to her cheek. She smiled back at him and he bridged the distance between them, pressing his lips against hers.

The guests applauded and cheered for them as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Galinda, who was maid of honour and stood behind her best friend, was sobbing into a handkerchief. Her boyfriend of six months was standing beside her, awkwardly trying to comfort her.

Fiyero pulled away, that goofy grin still on his face, and looked into Elphaba's eyes. "Hello there, wife."

She laughed. "Hi, husband."

His grin widened even further and he kissed her again, drawing her closer with his hands on her hips. "I love you. And I don't know if I've said it yet," he whispered, "but you're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I mean, you always are, but today…"

She smiled. When he had first seen her walk down the aisle in her wedding dress, his jaw had literally dropped; and Galinda had had to pinch him to snap him out of it so that they could continue with the ceremony. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off his fiancée ever since.

And now she wasn't his fiancée anymore… she was his wife.

"You might have mentioned that once or twice," she teased him and he chuckled, lacing their fingers together. They turned to face the crowd and Fiyero kissed her again, just because he could.

He lost her then in a sea of guests, all wanting to congratulate them both – Galinda, Nessarose, Boq, Fiyero's parents, his childhood friends… even Frexspar approached them and offered them his congratulations, however curtly.

They moved to the ballroom for the feast and Fiyero caught his wife around the waist when she walked by. "Not so fast."

"But Yero," she protested, "everyone wants to talk to me and I promised the cook I'd let him know what time to serve dinner, and Galinda and your parents and some others, too, want to give a speech, so I have to –"

"Right now," he said, leading her out of the ballroom and into the hallway, which was much quieter, "you don't have to do anything except for paying some attention to your poor, neglected husband."

"We've only been married for an hour and you already feel neglected?" she asked sarcastically. "Oz, what have I gotten myself into?"

He tapped her nose playfully, then pinned her against the wall and started kissing her. She immediately responded, slipping her arms around his neck, and he skated his lips along her jaw line and down to her neck, which made her moan softly.

He grinned against her soft skin. "Don't you agree that this is much more fun than you running around arranging things and me feeling neglected? Galinda loves arranging things – leave it to her."

"But Yero –"

"Shh." He kissed her again. When he felt her about to pull away, he deepened the kiss and wrapped his arm tighter around her. She struggled weakly and he let his lips travel to that spot below her ear, knowing that always turned her legs to mush.

She gasped. "Fiyero…"

"Hmm?" he asked innocently, continuing to kiss her until finally, her resolve completely crumbled and she just gave in.

"Fiyero? Have you seen – _oh_."

The prince jumped and glared at his father accusingly. "_Dad_!"

King Hamold cleared his throat. "Um… never mind," he said before quickly disappearing back into the ballroom.

Elphaba chuckled throatily. "Well, maybe we should have taken into account the fact that we're in a hallway and everyone can see us," she said drily.

Fiyero grumbled and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Yeah… I'm sorry," he apologised to her. "I mean, I know you're not entirely comfortable with public displays of affection, and this was… um… very public… and very affectionate…"

She giggled, a rare thing for her, and slipped her arms back around his neck. "It's fine." She pecked his nose. "I love you. But let's save this for tonight, shall we?"

His eyes lit up. He was already looking forward to tonight.

The rest of the night was beautiful and lots of fun, especially when he got to dance with Elphaba. She was reluctant at first, but he managed to coax her into a waltz, and then another one, and he eventually ended up dancing with her in his arms nearly all night. At some point, however, the stage was cleared and he looked with a mix of confusion and astonishment as his wife stepped onto the stage and sat down behind the piano.

When she saw his look, she smiled at him. "Oh, come on, Fiyero," she said, beckoning for him to join her. "Music is our thing."

"It is," he agreed. He peered at the sheet music she had in front of her. "Is that a song I wrote?"

She just smiled mysteriously and started playing.

"_You're a falling star, you're the getaway car  
__You're the line in the sand when I go too far  
__You're a swimming pool on an August day  
__And you're the perfect thing to say._"

The entire room had fallen silent by now, and everyone was listening. Fiyero was, once again, in awe of his wife. Yes, music was their thing, and yes, they still often sang together; but he had never expected her to do it in front of all their friends and family, in a ballroom filled with people, on their wedding day. She never stopped surprising him.

He looked at her, winking before singing the next part, and everyone stayed completely silent for the rest of the song, watching and listening to the newlyweds singing their hearts out together.

"_And you play it coy, but it's kind of cute  
__When you smile at me you know exactly what you do  
__Baby, don't pretend that you don't know it's true  
_'_Cause you can see it when I look at you._

_And in this crazy life and through these crazy times  
__It's you, it's you, you make me sing  
__You're every line, you're every word  
__You're everything._

_You're a carousel, you're a wishing well  
__And you light me up when you ring my bell  
__You're a mystery, you're from outer space  
__You're every minute of my every day._"

"_And I can't believe_," Fiyero sang later that night as he crawled across the bed towards his wife, a mischievous grin on his face, "_that I'm your man, and I get to kiss you, baby, just because I can_…"

"_Whatever comes our way, we'll see it through_." Elphaba turned around so that he could access the zipper of her wedding dress and he pulled it down, planting a soft kiss on her shoulder. "_And you know that's what our love can do…_"

"_And in this crazy life_," Fiyero took over again. "_And through these crazy times…_"

"_It's you, it's you, you make me sing_." Elphaba let her dress fall to the floor and crawled under the blankets in just her slip, with Fiyero hovering over her.

He ran his fingers through her hair. "_You're every line_…"

She closed her eyes and turned her head to kiss his fingers, wrapping her other arm around his neck. "_You're every word…_"

He looked down at her, memorising her features – her beautiful, sparkling, dark eyes, her soft skin, the dazzling smile on her face. He looked at her, seeing how beautiful she was, and he couldn't believe that she was really his now in every possible and imaginable way.

"You're everything," he whispered, meaning every word.

Her smile widened and she leant up to kiss him as they lost themselves in one another.

She lay in his arms afterwards, perfectly content and happy, but with something on her mind that she wasn't quite sure how to tell him.

He kissed her hair, sensing her mood as always. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "There's just… something you need to know."

He sat up, suddenly slightly worried. "What?" he asked, looking at her. "Fae?"

"It's nothing bad," she assured him, sitting up, too. "I just found out the other day that… um…" She clutched the blankets to her chest and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. She looked at him. She'd thought of telling him through a song – she'd even come up with song lyrics… but now, looking into his eyes, she couldn't remember any of them and she realised that this moment did not need a song.

So instead, she just opened her mouth and said, "I'm pregnant."


	4. I'll Stand by You

**AN: Because life is not only fluff, and sometimes bad things happen. **

**LetWickedNeverDie, it's like you read my mind. I'm sorry about this. But I wanted to try and keep it relatively realistic, and like I said, life is more than just fluff...**

**Detective Marx: That made me laugh so hard.**

**Thedoctor24601: I thought you only went "WHY, MADDY, WHY" whenever I mentioned pie :P.**

* * *

**I'll Stand by You**

"Fae…" Fiyero rested his forehead against the door. "Please. Open up."

He could hear her muffled sobs through the door and he sighed, feeling more helpless than ever. "Come on, sweetheart, open the door."

"She's still not coming out?" his mother, Lori, asked softly as she passed by. He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I love her," he said, turning around so that his back was resting against the wall and closing his eyes for a moment. "And I want to be there for her. I know she's grieving, but so am I… she won't let me in." He sighed again. "I think she's blaming herself."

"Oh, Yero…" Lori shook her head. "It's not her fault. Sometimes these things just happen."

"I know." He looked at her. "But this is the girl who has blamed herself for her mother's death and her sister's disability for as long as she can remember," he said. "She always blames herself when something bad happens, Mum. I wish I could change that, but I can't. I can't get through to her. And now she even locked me out of the room and I don't know how to support her, how to be there for her… I don't know how to get her to let me in." He realised he meant that both figuratively and literally speaking.

Lori thought about it for a few moments.

"Maybe talking isn't the solution," she said. "You have your own way of communicating with one another. How did you solve things in the past? That time after you had this huge fight over the summer, for example – how did you make it up to her? How did you get her to let you in then?"

"I gave her my journal." Fiyero raised his head, suddenly looking hopeful. "And we sang."

His mother smiled and squeezed his arm. "Good luck." Then she left to give the couple some privacy.

He turned back to face the door. "Fae?" he asked.

She still didn't reply, but he could tell that she was still crying and that alone broke his heart.

"_Why you look so sad_?" he sang. "_Tears are in your eyes… come on and come to me now, don't be ashamed to cry._"

On the other side of the door, she became quiet. He sang on.

"_Let me see you through  
_'_Cause I've seen the dark side too  
_

_When the night falls on you  
__You don't know what to do  
__Nothing you confess  
__Could make me love you less_."

A single, heart-wrenching sob came from the other side of the door. He leant his forehead against it again and kept singing.

"_I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you  
__Won't let nobody hurt you  
__I'll stand by you._

_So if you're mad, get mad,  
__Don't hold it all inside  
__Come and talk to me now  
__Hey, what you got to hide?  
__I get angry too  
__Well, I'm a lot like you_

_When you're standing at the crossroads  
__And don't know which path to choose  
__Let me come along  
_'_Cause even if you're wrong_

_I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you  
__Won't let nobody hurt you  
__I'll stand by you  
__Take me in, into your darkest hour  
__And I'll never desert you  
__I'll stand by you._"

He could hear some movement in the room. Then suddenly, the door opened, revealing his wife.

Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were dried-up tears still on her cheeks. She looked as if she were about to collapse any moment and he stepped into the room and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. He could feel her shaking and as she started to cry again, he softly finished the song.

"_And when, when the night falls on you, baby  
__You're feeling all alone  
__You won't be on your own  
_

_I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you  
__Won't let nobody hurt you  
__I'll stand by you  
__Take me in, into your darkest hour  
__And I'll never desert you  
__I'll stand by you._"

She was sobbing into his shoulder, clinging to him. "I… I'm sorry…" she hiccupped. "For shutting you out…"

"It's okay," he whispered. "I understand." He pressed his cheek to the top of her head and closed his eyes, solely focussing on her. She was still trembling and he rubbed his hands up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her.

He eventually led her to the bed and sat her down there, crouching down in front of her with her hands in his.

"Elphaba," he said. "Please tell me you know that this wasn't your fault."

Her eyes immediately filled up with tears again and he released a breath he hadn't even realised he had been holding. "Oh, Fae…"

She sniffled and he wrapped her in his arms again. "You shouldn't blame yourself, sweetheart," he whispered. "You couldn't have helped it in any way. Even Mum said so – more than one in ten pregnancies ends in a miscarriage and the chances are especially high in the first twelve to sixteen weeks. I talked to her about this, Fae. There's no way you could have prevented it. You did everything right."

"What if it's not about something I did?" she choked out. "What if it's just because… because I'm _me_? You know me, Fiyero – I only cause pain to the people around me…"

"No." He shook his head fervently. "Don't even go there. Elphaba, you're not cursed. You need to get these ideas out of your head." He nuzzled her temple, holding her close. "You are amazing, sweetheart, and I love you so much… but sometimes bad things just happen."

"It was our baby, Fiyero." She sobbed again and wrapped her arms around her own waist, as if to support herself. "I killed our baby."

"Hey!" He shook her, gently but firmly, until she looked up at him and met his gaze. "Stop doing that," he said, nearly desperate now. "Just stop. I don't want you to think like that. You didn't kill anyone. It just happened. And more bad things will happen, Fae, but that won't have anything to do with you. Bad things are part of life. Things will always go wrong, but that doesn't make them your fault." He wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead. "And no matter what happens," he said, "I meant what I promised you on our wedding day and I meant what I sang just now. I'll stand by you. I'll be by your side and we'll face those bad things together. Always."

There were tears in his own eyes now and she closed hers, burrowing deeper into his arms. He held her tightly as she started sobbing again and he cried with her, for the baby they'd lost.

She calmed down after a while, but he didn't let go of her. He wrapped her in one of the blankets that were lying on the bed and pulled her back into his arms. She leant her head against his shoulder and they sat in silence for a long time.

"How are you?" he asked quietly after a while. "Physically, I mean?"

She sniffled. "Just… I don't know." She shivered. "They're just… cramps. Worse than usually when I have my period, but nothing _too _bad. It's mostly that it just feels…" She took a breath and tried to compose herself, but fresh tears were already stinging her eyes as she finished softly, "It just feels empty."

He tightened his grip on her. "I'm sorry, Fae."

She buried her face in his neck and he rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her and calm her down. They sat in silence for a long while, neither of them speaking… neither of them knowing what to say.


	5. Heaven - Just the Way You Are

**AN: Don't worry, you guys, this one is happy again!**

* * *

**Heaven/Just the Way You Are**

Fiyero was just walking down the hallway when he heard Elphaba sing – a sound that made him stop dead in his tracks to listen, as always. He always loved hearing her sing, but he was especially glad to hear the sound now. She hadn't sung for a long time.

He pushed the door open slightly so that he could see her without her noticing his presence.

"_Baby, you're all that I want  
__When you're lying here in my arms  
__I'm finding it hard to believe  
__We're in heaven…_"

"_And love is all that I need_," Fiyero sang, smiling at her as he entered the room. She looked up and smiled back at him. "_And I found it there in your heart. It isn't too hard to see – we're in heaven_."

He wrapped his arms around his wife's waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at the small bundle of blankets in her arms. "Hey, kiddo."

The baby gurgled and Elphaba's smile widened.

"_Oh, once in your life you find someone_," she sang softly, looking at her husband. "_Who will turn your world around, bring you up when you're feeling down_…"

He kissed her temple. "Anytime, you know that," he said.

"I mean it." She turned in his arms to look at him. "I don't know what I would have done without you, Yero. Especially in the past year…"

It had been hard for her to find out that she was pregnant again. She'd been so worried that something would go wrong once more, despite Fiyero and his parents trying their hardest to reassure her.

She'd relaxed a little when she had reached her second trimester without any complications, and Fiyero had to admit he had been relieved as well. He knew, however, that Elphaba had been afraid of something happening right up until the point when her newborn son had been placed into her arms for the first time.

And now here they were, four months later, and the little prince was still perfectly healthy and loved to death by both his parents and his grandparents. Galinda had probably permanently damaged the poor baby's hearing with all her squeals and Nessa had been speechless when she had first laid eyes on her nephew.

"Oh, Fabala…" she'd whispered, tears in her eyes. "He's beautiful."

And he was. He had Elphaba's large eyes and her nose and limbs, too; but he had Fiyero's eye colour and hair. He was a sweet and quiet baby, almost never making a fuss over anything. Fiyero was pretty sure he had inherited his mother's personality, though Elphaba had argued that him being quiet could also be the 'lazy, happy-go-lucky' attitude of his father.

Every time he saw Elphaba with Xalo, it seemed like she was glowing. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so happy in his entire life… except for maybe on their wedding day. It had been hard for her to accept that her earlier miscarriage had really not been her fault, and even harder to overcome her fears of having another baby, but it had been worth it. Fiyero already couldn't imagine their lives without Xalo anymore.

He looked at Elphaba, seeing the soft smile that seemed to have taken permanent residence on her face now, and he couldn't help but smile himself. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Elphaba glanced up at him. "I sincerely hope you're talking to _him_ now," she nodded at the baby in her arms, "and not to me."

He laughed and kissed her head. "No. I'm talking to you." He twirled her around and pulled her close to him, with Xalo still in between them. He looked into her eyes. "You're beautiful."

She snorted.

He took Xalo from her and started dancing around the room with the baby. "Don't you agree, kiddo?" he asked his son. "Mummy is beautiful, isn't she?"

The only reply he got was a happy gurgle, but he was satisfied with that. "See, Fae? He agrees with me."

She only rolled her eyes.

Fiyero brought his face close to Xalo's, rubbing his nose against his son's. "Can I tell you a secret?" he asked the baby in a stage whisper.

Xalo tried to grab a lock of his father's hair.

"_Her eyes, her eyes,_" Fiyero sang to his son, "_make the stars look like they're not shining. Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying. She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day._" He spun Xalo around, who laughed.

Elphaba sighed, her face flushed slightly with embarrassment. "Would you stop it already?"

Fiyero grinned and just continued. "_I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me. And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see. But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"_ –"

"I never ask you that," Elphaba interrupted him. She strode over to him and plucked their son out of his hands. "Come here, darling, before Daddy corrupts you with his crazy ideas."

Fiyero went on undisturbed, not in the least impressed. "_I say: when I see your face there's not a thing that I would change, 'cause you're amazing just the way you are._"

Elphaba stroked Xalo's soft, sandy hair, smiling down at him. "_And when you smile_," she sang softly, tracing her son's tiny features with her finger, "_the whole world stops and stares for a while. 'Cause, boy, you're amazing just the way you are._"

Fiyero scowled at her. "That's not fair," he protested. "This was _your _song."

She shrugged. "It suits him much better than me," she said, making a face at her son, who giggled and tried to poke her in the eye. She kissed the top of his head.

"No," Fiyero declared, shaking his head firmly. "You don't get to twist my amazingly romantic gesture, Fae, not even for our son. You're not allowed to."

She raised one eyebrow.

"We sing for Xalo all the time," Fiyero stated. "This one is for you."

"Fiyero –"

"Shh." He pushed a finger against her lips. "No talking. No protesting whatsoever. Got it?"

She scowled at him, but he didn't even acknowledge the look on her face. Instead, he swept Xalo from her arms again, kissed his cheek and tickled his tummy, and then laid him down in his crib before pulling Elphaba into his arms.

"_Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me  
__Her laugh, her laugh, she hates it but I think it's so sexy  
__She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day._

_Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change  
__If perfect's what you're searching for, then just stay the same  
__So don't even bother asking if you look okay,  
__You know I'll say_

_When I see your face  
__There's not a thing that I would change  
_'_Cause you're amazing just the way you are  
__And when you smile  
__The whole world stops and stares for a while  
_'_Cause, girl, you're amazing just the way you are._"

Elphaba sighed, even as he drew her into his arms and danced around the room with her. "The worst part is that I know you meant everything you just sang."

He stopped dancing to stare at her. "'The worst part'?" he echoed incredulously.

She shook her head. "You're crazy, Fiyero," she said, looking away. "I'm not beautiful. I'm not amazing. And I'm most certainly not perfect."

"You are," he said softly, tilting her chin up so that she would look at him. "You're perfect for me."

She smiled half-heartedly and he kissed her, deep and passionate, trying to convey what he felt to her, even though he knew he never could.

"I love you," he breathed. "And I wish I could make you see yourself through my eyes, Fae… because to me, you are so very beautiful."

She remembered the song he had sung for her, so early in their relationship, when she had asked him how he could love her.

"You are so beautiful to me," she whispered now, and he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Exactly," he said. "Do you remember what I asked you afterwards?"

She closed her eyes.

"You said that if I can't accept the fact that I'm… beautiful… then I should at least try to accept that you see me that way," she recalled.

His smile widened. "Nothing's changed, you know," he said, gently kissing her lips and then her jaw, her cheek, her eyelids. "Except for the fact that you've only grown to be even more beautiful than you were back then. You're glowing, Fae. Did you know that? Ever since Xalo's birth, you've been glowing, smiling all the time… I love that." He kissed her lips again, slowly, savouring every moment. "I love seeing you happy."

"I am happy." She leant into him, responding to the kiss even as he tangled his fingers in her hair and pressed her closer to him.

When they finally broke apart, she was breathing hard and she rested her forehead against his chest. "I love you so much, Yero," she said, a small catch in her voice. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, you won't have to find out," he murmured against her lips. "Because I'm never leaving you. Ever. I love you, too, sweetheart. You're amazing, and perfect, and I've never seen anyone more beautiful than you."

He laced their fingers together and pulled her close as he began to softly hum his song for her again. They swayed together, both of them happier than they'd ever been before.

* * *

**Now, that was much better, wasn't it?**

**Only one more to go. I won't promise that it's happy... I'm not sure if it's sad. All I know is that I personally really like how I ended it (thanks to Humole :)). You'll see.**


	6. For Good

**AN: This one was hard to write, especially the ending. I really wanted it to be happy, but I also wanted to keep it realistic; and happy would have meant cheesy, and... eventually, like I said in the previous chapter, Humole gave me the answer and I'm quite happy with how it turned out :).**

**LetWickedNeverDie: I actually just pulled the name 'Xalo' out of thin air :P. I used it in a few one-shots before and I rather like it, so I decided to use it again here.**

* * *

**For Good**

Fiyero looked at Galinda, his eyes wide and filled with so many things. Fear. Grief. Pain. Helplessness. So many others that Galinda could not even name.

She had to look away because she couldn't bear the look in his eyes.

They weren't sparkling anymore. The sapphire blue had dulled to a lacklustre colour. They were dead eyes, she realised. The life had drained from them.

"I don't know if I can do this," he choked out, near tears.

Galinda embraced him, holding him close and rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him.

"You can," she told him firmly. "You can, Fiyero. I know you can. You wanted to do this and I still think it's an amazing idea… singing was your thing, Yero. Yours and Elphaba's. There's no better way, no more perfect way, to do this than with a song."

He took a few deep, shuddering breaths, attempting to compose himself. Then he nodded.

"You're right."

She squeezed his arm and made to move away, but he caught her hand. "Glin?"

She looked at him sympathetically. "Yeah?"

He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again and meeting her gaze. "Will you sing it with me?"

Galinda's heart broke.

"Yes," she whispered. "Of course. If that's what you want."

He squeezed her hand. She stayed with him until it started, and then she stepped out with him, guiding him to his seat.

He wished his parents were here right now. Ever since they had passed away, all those years ago, he had missed them terribly, but he'd been okay. With Elphaba by his side, he would always be okay.

But now he was here and she was not. His parents were gone, his wife was gone… and he knew he had to be strong – for Xalo and for Bae, for his sons and his grandchildren.

But he couldn't.

The ceremony mostly passed by him without him really hearing anything that was being said. Nessarose spoke a few words, tearing up and saying that her sister had finally joined her parents now – which Galinda thought was a rather stupid thing to say, given Elphaba's relationship with her father, but she kept her mouth shut. Galinda herself spoke about her best friend, of their times at Shiz and afterwards, of their respective weddings and how amazing Elphaba had been, always being there for her friends. She cried, too, though much less dignified than Nessa – at one point she just started sobbing and found herself unable to stop. Xalo and Bae spoke, too, fondly recalling memories of their mother. Both of them cried as well.

Emiy, Xalo's daughter and Fiyero's oldest grandchild, played some music on the piano – something Fiyero and Elphaba had taught her to do. Bae's son Deloro, ten years old, read a short poem he had written himself.

Fiyero didn't speak. When it was his turn to step forward, Galinda by his side, he just stood there, staring ahead of him without really seeing the guests. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. No words could ever be enough and at the same time every word he spoke would be too much.

Words wouldn't bring her back.

For the first time ever, Fiyero's friends and family, his sons and grandchildren, didn't see him as a happy, vibrant and optimistic man or a loving father and grandfather. What they saw in that moment was an old and broken man.

He sat down behind the piano. He caressed the keys, the way he had done so many times before. He remembered every time he had played and sang a song for Elphaba – the love of his life, his everything – and he didn't think he could do this.

But somehow, his fingers started to press the keys. Somehow he started to play.

And then Galinda, sensing that he was too emotional to start, began to sing.

"_I've heard it said that people come into our lives _

_For a reason, bringing something we must learn_

_And we are led to those who help us most to grow_

_If we let them, and we help them in return_

_Well, I don't know if I believe that's true_

_But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you…_"

Her voice broke and she had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob, tears threatening to spill from her eyes; but somehow, her voice and the song gave Fiyero the strength he needed to open his mouth and sing as well.

"_Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun_

_Like a stream that meets a boulder, halfway through the wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you_

_I have been changed for good._

_It well may be that we will never meet again_

_In this lifetime..._"

He choked, but he pressed forward. He'd written this song for her. Even if she couldn't hear him, even if she wasn't there anymore, he wanted the world to know what she had meant to him. What she had done for him.

"_So let me say before we part_

_So much of me is made of what I learnt from you_

_You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart._"

Galinda smiled shakily at him, coming over to stand next to him and placing her hand on his shoulder as she wiped her tears away and sang on.

"_And now whatever way our stories end_

_I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend_

_Like a ship blown from its mooring like a wind off the sea_

_Like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood_

_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_

_But because I knew you_

_I have been changed for good._"

By the time they reached the final chorus, nearly everyone was crying – Nessa had buried her face in a handkerchief and some of the children were actually sobbing, Xalo and Bae and their wives trying to comfort them as they themselves cried as well.

"_Who can say if I've been changed for the better?_" Galinda sang, closing her eyes. She squeezed Fiyero's shoulder.

"_But because I knew you_…" Fiyero swallowed with difficulty.

"_Because I knew you_…" A tear spilt over, slowly making its way down Galinda's cheek. She did not wipe it away.

"_I have been changed_," Fiyero finished, his voice soft, almost inaudible. "_For good_."

There was a long silence after the song had ended, no-one daring to speak or even breathe – a silence only broken by the muffled sobs coming from the guests. Fiyero, somehow, felt strangely empty, as if he had run out of tears. He looked up at the sky, part of him expecting her to suddenly appear and sing for him, but of course she didn't.

He didn't remember much of the rest of the service, only the horrible feeling in his stomach and the sensation of his heart being ripped in two when he watched the coffin being lowered into the earth.

King Fiyero Tiggular of the Vinkus died five months later, passed away peacefully in his sleep, making his son, Crown Prince Xalo, the new king. The official statement was that the king had had a heart attack; but the people whispered that he had died because he had not been able or willing to live without the love of his life, the late Queen Elphaba.

Their best and oldest friend, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, sang a song at the ceremony. The king was buried with his queen under the watchful eye of their children and grandchildren and their closest friends.

When the couple's youngest grandchild, six-year-old Rosey, came running into the castle one day, gasping something about hearing voices in the graveyard when no-one was there, everyone dismissed it as a child's fantasy… everyone except for Galinda.

And when she took Emiy and Deloro there one day, they heard it, too. Two voices, a man and a woman…

…and they were singing.

Emiy looked up at the former blonde woman in slight fear. "Auntie Galinda?" she whispered, using the name all Fiyero and Elphaba's children and grandchildren always used for their mother and grandmother's best friend. "What is that?"

Galinda just smiled and stroked the girl's raven hair.

"That," she said, "is a sign. Those are your grandparents, sweetie."

Deloro furrowed his brow. "But that's not possible," he protested. "They died."

Emiy arched an eyebrow at him, reminding Galinda painfully of Elphaba. "You said the same thing when I told you that I had magical powers," she said. "That it's 'impossible'." She used her fingers as quote marks. "And then it turned out you have them yourself."

Galinda laughed and pressed both children closer. "That's right, darlings. When it comes to your grandparents, nothing is impossible."

She could still hear their voices, echoing across the graveyard, and Galinda closed her eyes for a moment.

"What is it a sign of, Auntie Galinda?" Emiy asked softly.

Galinda opened her eyes again to look down at the girl.

"It's a sign that they found each other again," she replied. "Do you remember how sad your grandfather was when Grandma died?"

Emiy and Deloro both nodded vigorously.

"They loved each other very much." Galinda got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment. "And now they are back together again."

"That's good," Deloro said solemnly. "Then they don't have to be sad anymore because they miss each other."

Galinda mussed up his hair. "Exactly."

They fell silent. Galinda put her arms around both children.

Together, they listened to Elphaba and Fiyero's song.

* * *

**That was it. The end of the _Dances with Princes _universe.**

**I'm still working on my next fanfic, and I promise it won't be very long until I start posting it; but what with uni starting again, it's all just completely crazy and I can barely find the time to write at all right now, let alone the elaborate plot planning I have to do for my new fic (I was glad I'd written this one in advance or I wouldn't have been able to update every day).**

**That'll get better soon (or, well, soon... in a week and a half) but until then, I'm hesitant to start posting because I'm afraid I'd have to go on hiatus later in the middle of the story, and I don't want that. So please just bear with me for a while longer.**

**In the meantime, my mind does allow me to write light and fluffy stuff that does not require much thinking; so look out for a one-shot. I secretly call it "the Fiyero Is Sick Fic" :P.**


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